Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Day 4: Resources

(this is for the TIGSource World Building Challenge, found here.) 



The Samaric people are highly varied and diverse. This diversity has cultivated from the diverse landscapes present in Samar, as detailed on the second day of our Valgan exploration.

Above all for the Samaric people, the key currency is time. In all but Malsad, work is key. It is not uncommon to enter servitude to pay off a debt or obtain an item of interest from someone. Now bear in mind, a majority of the Samaric people are not materialistic; they are pragmatic and practical. For instance, many Samaric "inns" do not require a trade of currency to stay in one of their rooms, but rather you do work for them so long as you stay. That is the way of things.

Except for Malsad and the trade cities, of course, where currency has become king in the recent decades. First ordained and now regulated by the "Divine Order" of Malsad, their money consists of brass coins adorned with the mark of the gods. Due to this, there is a prevalence of materialism and greed in what are formally known as the "trade cities". Outsiders of the trade cities, though, often detest their ways, and it is not uncommon to hear trade cities referred to with slanderous names.

Beyond the currencies of trade, the land of Samar is generally bountiful in food and water.

In the hilly region of Borg there is little farming of crops. Wild berries are often gathered and picked, which forms a staple food of the Borg peoples' culture. They also sparingly herd manners of bovine-esque animals in ranches, which are used for milk and meat. Rivers are abundant in Borg, which make up their main source of water. Borg has very few mineral resources, so it is often left alone by the Malsads.

Figan is the least populated of all the Samaric regions, and for good reason. While the rainforests are lush and plentiful with food, they are immensely dangerous. The northwestern marshes are sparse both in terms of vegetation and in animal life. All manners of slimy critters, parasites, insects, and scum-dwelling fish make their homes there. This greatly impacts the lives of residents of Figan, as you may imagine, and is precisely why reptilians often make their home here, both for the lack of people and for the abundance of suitable foods.

Due to Malsad's immense population and industrialization, it imports most of it's food from farms neighboring other regions's trade cities. Malsad was once rich with mineral mines, but they have since been dug out and made into jewelry, weapons, machines, and etc.

Kahir's landscape teems with all manners of wildlife. The people of Kahir namely live off of eating small rodent and swine-like animals. Insects are also a major staple food. The people of Kahir collect rain water from the treetops with special mechanisms which funnel water from above down through a tube. In some senses, it is the upside-down construct of a well. Kahir's east island, which borders Malsad, has been terraformed by the Malsads into their perfect island for farming. A major bridge connects this island to Malsad, and on each side of it a major trade city.

And once again we will end things off talking about Vendus. Vegetables form the majority of their diet, both on the mainland on on the peninsula, although the staple vegetables vary between the two. As in Borg, Vendus relies on the many rivers for their water. On the peninsula, where there are less rivers, rain water is often collected and stored in large urns for their water supply. The northern mountains and receding area are extremely plentiful in minerals, all of which Malsad values. There is an ongoing conflict in Vendus over these mining operations, which often causes a ruckus for the towns nearby as well as the traffic of the transport carriers. Due to this, there is much prejudice towards the Malsads in Vendus.

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